I was interested to read the recent comments on this site about food. I missed the orginal discussion at the church meeting, but I'm all in favour of food and eating together! The lively gathering after the visit from the African children's choir recently was a good example.
You may have read that a church picnic is being planned at Manna House in June. I think it's a great idea, but why just stop at one? I was sharing a meal with some friends from church last night (!) and we agreed that it would be good to revive an old tradition of regular picnics on Sundays after church - weather permitting!
We used to meet at High Elms, but wonder whether this has become too crowded now and parking may be a problem. Has anyone got any ideas of a suitable venue? - Easy to get to, plenty of space for children to run around, plenty of parking, and access to toilets!
We're hoping to start on Sunday 25 May - everyone's welcome - so keep your eyes and ears open!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Great idea Lorna,
One of my previous girlfriends and I used to walk basing ourselves at The Lion at Farningham. There is usually plenty of parking, some space for children to run around, and it is not too far away. The riverside setting would also allow adults if they wanted to, to stretch their legs along one of the more picturesque stretches of the Darenth.
I have not been there on a Sunday afternoon for a while, but some Saturdays were crowded in mid summer. Other times should be OK though. Lazy types (like me!) could get snacks, meals and/or drinks from the pub instead of, or as well as a picnic. We never had any problem with picnicking there, as the pub staff did not seem to mind what food or drink was consumed outside the pub. There are no gates implying any ownership of that land, so maybe the pub is taking advantage of a picnic site, not the other way around!
There is another pub at Horton Kirby, about a mile along the river with its own closed off area of riverside. This area is rather bigger, and used to have a small collection of small sized farm animals and pets for kids to enjoy. I visited this place a few months back to discover the place had changed hands, and most of the animals had gone. Hope they have returned by now, but both sites might merit a bit of reconnaissance :-). Parking is not quite so good there, but a short picturesque walk from the Lion car park might be an innovative extra if that venue were chosen and numbers were too many to park at HK. Both pubs sell our favourite tipple when we went there (as well as other non alcoholic drinks) - Tea!
Hope this helps.
Mike
Another thought I had was our very own Churchill Gardens. I was in Tchibo on Wednesday and saw an item in their sale that even I could afford(£3!). They have a special offer at the moment to give you a free coffee with each purchase. They offered me one, and I opted for a take away, eventually choosing to drink it in the Churchill gardens, by the pond. While I was there I reflected on the Lord's wonderful creation, seeing the ducks, other waterbirds (one looked as big as a goose, but with a duck's head and neck - very strange) and the plants and flowers all around, all in lovely sunshine. It then occurred to me that it would make a great venue for an after church picnic if people would prefer not to make a long journey. It is a bit of a jewel in our midst, and I wonder how many of us have visited it. There is plenty of space for children to play, plenty of grass to lay out a picnic rug, and shops and stalls to supplement the picnic fare if required. Sadly for me, while I enjoyed God's wonderful bounty, a friend of mine was dying a couple of miles away. I am comforted however that he was asleep and is now in a better place.
More ramblings from my fevered mind!
Post a Comment